Apparatus for forcing lime-grout, cement, and the like.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

I E. w MOIR. APPARATUS FOR FORGING' LIME GROUT, omvmmyoa THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1004.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 778,878. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

E. W. MOIR.

APPARATUS FOR PORCING LIME GROUT, CEMENT, OR. THE LIKE.

' APPLIUATION FILED JULY '1. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET a.

lUNTTEn STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT ()EEICE.

ERNEST WILLIAM MOIR, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,878, dated January3, 1905.

Application filed July 7,1904. Serial No. 215,690.

You whmn it mlaty concern;

Be it known that I, ERNEST IVILLIAM Morn, M. Inst. C. E., of 10 Victoriastreet, WVestminster, England, have invented a certain new and usefulImproved Apparatus for Forcing Lime- (Jrrout, Cement, and the Like;andldo hereby declare thefollowing to bea full, clear, and ex= actdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus which is adapted to facilitate thesupply under pressure of lime-grout, liquid cement, or other viscousfluids which have the quality of quickly solidifying for the purpose offilling up vacant spacesas, for example, the spaces surrounding themetal sections which form the lining of tunnels of modern construction.According to the arrangements at present in use for this purpose intunnel construction a mixing vessel is provided having a cover which isadapted to be opened to receive-the materials which compose the groutand to be closed in an air-tight manner after the mixing has beeneffected. Air under considerable pressure having previously been forcedinto a reservoir by an air-pump driven by an engine or otherwise, acommunication is made between the reservoir of air and the upper portionof the mixing-chamber, and the grout is thereby forced through astop-cock opened for the purpose into a flexible pipe which leads to theplace where it is wanted. Delay in starting the forcing of the grout orany subsequent cessation of the forcing which may occur before thevessel and delivery-pipe are emptied of their contents gives anopportunity for the partial setting of the grout and necessitates theprovision of a very considerable pressure in the air-reservoir toovercome the initial resistance on starting or restarting,

whereas a very moderate pressure will in general be sufficient tomaintain the flow of grout against the normal working resistance. Inconsequence of this large, powerful, and costly air-pumping appliancesare required, which are quite incommensurate with the average duty to beperformed.

The merits of this invention consist, first, in the avoidance of the useof air-pumping apparatus; second, in the substitution for this ofhydraulic power which in general is provided for other purposes andwhich is readily available for this; third, in the much more economicalemployment of the power used, and, fourth, in the more rapid andpracticallycontinuous delivery of the grout for the filling operation.

The accompanying drawings show a convenient and effective form ofconstruction for carrying out this invention.

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 1 LinFig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly insection.

In the drawings, a is the mixing vessel, so placed that its semiliquidcontents can gravitate to the lower-situated cylinder 7) to the lefthandend thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, at suitable times on theopening of a stop-cock c. The mixing vessel has a large opening at thetop for the insertion of the materials to compose the grout. This isfitted with a loose lid cl to prevent the splashing of the contents whenthe mixer e is revolved by the cranked handle f. In the apparatushitherto in use it is-necessary for the lid of the mixing vessel to beadapted to be secured in a manner suffrciently air-tight to withstandconsiderable pressure. The liability to spilling of the cement-powder onthe flanged surfaces tends to aggravate the time-expending character ofthis operation, so that its avoidance, which is an incidental advantageof this invention, is of not inconsiderable value in practice.

The cylinder 6 is fitted with a packed pis ton g, which by means of itsattachment by the plunger-rod it to the piston j of the hydrauliccylinder 72 is adapted to be urged by water-pressure either to the leftor to the right. The cylinder 6 is permanently open at the right-handend, the left-hand end being closed by a door so fitted on a hinge onthat it can be opened and closed expeditiously if after a period of restit should be necessary to remove remnants of consolidated material orfor the purpose of cleansing the cylinder after use.

The grout is admitted only to the left end of the cylinder 6 by drawingthe piston g to the right, when after intimately mixing the groutby thestirrer e the stop-cock cis opened. By the'combined effect of gravityand atmospheric pressure the whole of the contents of the mixing vessela will be rapidly drawn into the cylinder, and ordinarily the cylinderZ) will contain also a small volume of air.

Leading through the lower side of the door of the cylinderb is a passagecommanded by a stop-cock 71., adapted by a union 0 for the attachment ofa flexible hose, whereby the grout is conducted to the place where it isrequired to be delivered under pressure.

To deliver the grout, the stop-cock c is closed and it opened, afterwhich the piston g is forced from right to left. The first effect willbe the compression of the air confined in the cylinder until asufficient pressure is reached to force the grout along thedelivery-pipe into the space to be filled. Inasmuch as the quan tity ofsuch air is small, only a small movement of the piston will be requiredto attain that sufiicient pressure. The confined air will interposeitself as a cushion between the hydraulic press and the flowing groutandprevent undue pressure and shock. The operation of forcing the groutwill accordingly be due to hydropneumatic action. While the delivery ofone charge of grout is taking place another charge may be prepared inthe mixing vessel and be ready for reception by the cylinder immediatelythe first is evacuated, or if longer time is required for effectivemixing an additional mixing vessel may be provided similarly fitted onthe other side of the cylinder 6. By such-means a nearly-continuousstream of grout can be maintained and the trouble of semihardened plugsof cement in the delivery-pipe avoided. At the end of the operation thedelivery-pipe can be cleared of its contents by drawing a volume of airor water into the cylinder and dischargingit through the delivery-pipe.

Inasmuch as a less force will be wanted to move the piston to the rightthan to the left that is, less pressure will be required to draw thegrout into the cylinder than to deliver it for usea comparatively largeplunger 71. is employed to connect the hydraulic piston j with thepiston g, and thus economize the expenditure of water-power.

The apparatus is mounted on wheels to facilitate the movement requiredto follow the work to be done.

I claim- 1. An apparatus adapted to effect a mixing of materials to formlime-grout, liquid cement, or the like, and force it under pressure intocavities to be filled thereby, consisting of a mixing vessel, a cylinderand piston, a passage leading downward from the mixing vessel to one endof the said cylinder, which passage is commanded by a stop-cock, asecond passage, also commanded by a stop-cock, leading from the samecylinder end to the place of required delivery of the grout, and meansfor urging the piston along the said cylinder from and toward the end towhich the grout is adapted to be admitted.

2. An apparatus adapted to effect a mixing of materials to formlime-grout, liquid cement, or the like, and force it under pressure intocavities to be filled thereby, consisting of a mixing vessel, a cylinderand piston, a passage, leading downward from the mixing vessel to oneend of the said cylinder, which passage is commanded by a stop-cock, asecond passage, also commanded by a stop-cock, leading from the samecylinder end to the place of required delivery of the grout, and meansfor urging the piston by hydraulic pressure along the said cylinder fromand toward the end to which the grout is adapted to be admitted.

3. An apparatus adapted to effect a mixing of materials to formlime-grout, liquid cement, or the like, and force it under pressure intocavities to be filled thereby, consisting of a mixing vessel, a cylinderand piston, a passage, leading downward from the mixing vessel to oneend of the said cylinder, which passage is commanded by a stop-cock, asecond passage, also commanded by a stop-cock, leading from the samecylinder end to the place of required delivery of the grout, and asecond cylinder fitted with a hydraulic plunger-piston, the plungerbeing connected to the first-mentioned piston.

4. An apparatus adapted to efiecta mixing of materials to formlime-grout, liquid cement, or the like, and force it under pressure intocavities to be filled thereby, consisting of a mixing vessel, a cylinderand piston, a passage, leading downward from the-mixing vessel to oneend of the said cylinder, which passage is commanded by a stop-cock, asecond passage, also commanded by a stop-cock, leading from the samecylinder end to the place of required delivery of the grout, a cover forthe cylinder at this end adapted to be removed and replaced fluid-tightwith facility, and means'for urging the piston along the said cylinderfrom and toward the end to which the grout is adapted to be admitted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

I ERNEST WILLIAM MOIR.

Witnesses:

N. J. Lure, OTTO MUNK.

